She's also a scientist, and when a small planet begins to manifest some unusual signs she is sent to investigate. The planet is more than it seems, and on further investigation the scientists begin to suspect it has been artificially altered.

But despite their suspicions the only life they can detect is on the surface, none of which has advanced far above the level of animals. And despite the hopes of mankind to find something which will help them in a burgeoning war against other species, there seems to be nothing there to aid them.

With Dorothy's arrival, however, they are in for some surprising discoveries.

Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Product description

Book Description

A superb SF novel from one of the genre's most accomplished writers.

About the Author

Paul McAuley's first novel won the PHILIP K. DICK AWARD and he has gone on to win almost all of the major awards in the field. For many years a research biologist, he now writes full-time. He lives in London. You can find his blog at: http://www.unlikelyworlds.blogspot.com.

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

This is a highly imaginative novel for fans of hard SF. The first chapter is instantly enthralling. It draws you into the story with a mixture of high tech detail and immediate identification with the main character. From there things move with considerable pace into a world full of surprises. McAuley's background in biological research shows through very effectively in his assured depiction of wildlife on a world where nothing turns out to be as it at first appears. The setting for the story spans what feels like an entire ecosystem in a way that makes it almost tangibly alien.

I have read only one other novel by this author (The Quiet War) which, I have to say, I did not enjoy as much. 400 Billion Stars is far more engaging and involves the reader more closely with the main characters. The arrival of humans, and one in particular, triggers a sequence of changes in the native fauna on a planet human leaders believe is key to a war they are in danger of losing. The plot is satisfyingly anti-establishment and anti-military.

The internal conflict in the mind of the telepath Dorothy is realistically and sympathetically portrayed, as she moves forward in both solving the riddle of the alien planet and towards her own self-realisation. Over the last 45 years I have read a great deal of science fiction and I found this to be a very enjoyable and compelling read.

This is an early Paul McAuley, but it has lost nothing over the years of its brilliance. Long before red dwarf stars were being seen as stable and a safer long term home than stars like our own sun, McAuley was speculating about life in these systems. If you have never read one of his books before, this is a good place to start.

This is refreshing Sci-Fi, the kind of Sci-Fi that you forget is Sci-Fi while you're reading it. It is epic in scale, whilst at the same time being very personal and introspective. I had been looking for a new Sci-Fi author for a while before I came across this book. I'm not looking anymore...

Some people seem to believe interesting should mean 'wham, bam', but this story gradually unpicks a million year old mystery, methodically and with great care. Dorthy is a damaged 'talent' who is able to find out why the encountered aliens are so xenophobic. But will that help?

To find out you need to read the sequel, 'Eternal Light'. (Not on Kindle!)

This had some unique and intriguing ideas which I thought the author struggled to bring out. The book took a long time to get going properly and Yoshida's issues seemed to be overly and repetitively reproduced. A reasonable read and recommended.

The Quiet War novels offered galactic wide scope and some big ideas, at least in the first two novels. 400 Billion Stars, an earlier novel, is not in quite the same league. While entertaining, and with good character development, the plot sometimes plods rather than streaks along, and the denouement is week. the final "confrontation" with "the enemey" (or is it really an "enemy") is a bit stretched and not particularly satisfying. But its an okay read, except I couldn't figure out where the 400 Billion stars come into it.